US election officials brace for potential federal interference at polls amid midterm fears

In Colorado, Denver chief election official Paul López said voters were concerned by the threat of federal agents showing up at the polls, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. He described the potential deployment as "authoritarian tactics" and said it was "absolutely illegal per US federal law for any federal agent, for any troop or anybody trying to intimidate voters at the polls."

"It's my expectation if somebody violates that and refuses that order, that they be arrested," López told Four Corners.

The US heads to the polls on 3 November for midterm elections. Polls suggest the Democrats will win the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. Trump's approval rating sits at a record low.

Justin Vail from the non-profit group Protect Democracy said that, for the first time in modern history, the greatest threat of election interference was coming from the federal government itself. “We have seen this administration, the president and his enablers' willingness to incite violence,” Vail said. “We're working with local election officials and law enforcement to prepare for [it].”

The Trump administration has not ruled out deploying ICE agents to polling places. In September, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE officers could be deployed across the country. “ICE isn't there to patrol the polling places,” he said. “We're there to enforce specific threats.” FBI director Kash Patel also declined to rule out the deployment of FBI agents at the polls during a congressional hearing.

Luke Ball, a Republican strategist who worked on Trump's 2024 re-election campaign, said he had no problem with federal law enforcement at polling places. "I think it's fine to have law enforcement at a polling place, especially if they're helping maintain law and order and helping deter illegal voting," Ball said. "These men and women who are involved in law enforcement and ICE are great Americans. They love their country. These are not boogeymen who are here to oppress the vote."

López is part of a coalition that has filed a lawsuit aimed at blocking federal officers from turning up at the polls. Denver election workers have also been conducting training for scenarios including possible intimidation and meddling. "We feel prepared [for] anybody showing up at the polls that tries to intimidate somebody, federal agent or otherwise," López said. "At the end of the day, we're not going to let any of these thugs scare anybody from exercising their right to vote."

The Trump administration has also been attempting to collect states' unredacted voter rolls to try to identify what it calls “non-citizen voting”. Non-citizens have never been allowed to vote in US federal elections, and there is no evidence non-citizens have swayed an election outcome. Officials in about 30 states have refused to hand over unredacted voter information, arguing it is illegal and a violation of privacy. Protect Democracy has successfully filed and supported lawsuits against the Trump administration over the attempts.

Vail said the group was also concerned about voter intimidation, false national emergencies aimed at disrupting or delaying voting, and efforts to seize ballots or voting machines. Protect Democracy has analysed nearly 10,000 jurisdictions across the US to try to identify the most at-risk areas on election day, and Vail said the group was prepared to “go to court immediately” in a range of scenarios.